Interview with Tomás Gomez on his new novel, “Border War’

Jan. 18, 2012 - PRLog -- In his new book, BORDER WAR, the novelist Tomás Gomez, tackles a topical issue — drug violence in Mexico — through an unlikely group of protagonists: a Mexican Navy Special Forces commando unit. Delving into the social and political aspects of the problem from the perspective of those on the front lines fighting America’s War on Drug’s in Mexico, Mr. Gomez fashions a tense novel steeped in historical perspective with significant religious overtones. He sticks to his protagonist’s point of view while ruthless cartel operatives, corrupt politicians, and cops on both sides of the border remain on the periphery.

“BORDER WAR” is currently only available in English as an e-Book. It will be available in both Spanish and English as an e-Book and paperback in Spring 2012 from Tapatio Press. The author, who writes under the pen name of Tomás Gomez to protect his identity, spoke about his new book’s political ambitions in an interview in San Antonio, Texas. Below are excerpts from the conversation.

Q.   Why did you decide to approach the subject of drug violence in Mexico this way — from the perspective of those fighting the drug war?

A.   First off, I want to make it perfectly clear that the drug war in Mexico is a misnomer. Rather it is America’s War on Drugs and it is being fought on Mexican soil. There is a lot of media coverage about this problem but nobody’s really talking about it from the reality that this problem is a creation of the alphabet soup of U.S. law enforcement agencies operating in Mexico - the DEA, the ATF, the FBI.

Having lived for a number of years in Manzanillo, which is home to the Mexican Navy’s Pacific Fleet headquarters, I had the opportunity to meet many of the Marines fighting the cartels. I also made friends with some of the Special Forces commandos. It is their story I want to tell. They are heroes and right now Mexico needs some heroes.

Q.   There been many books and novels written on this subject. What makes your novel different?

A.   I thought if I could write a novel about this subject, rather than a non-fiction book, many more people might read it and in the process learn how Mexico came to the point where it is today. The characters in the book talk about religion and politics quite a lot; also about Texas and the U.S historical racism and intervention in Mexico. Every novel or book I have read is written either from a U.S. government perspective, which is keep dugs illegal, or from the criminals’ point of view. It is not that I really did not want to write something like that; rather I could not write something like that. It is not who I am and I think I am pretty much an average kind of a guy.

Q.    What do you mean you could not write something like that?

A.   I mean I support the legalization of marijuana, which is the cartel’s main cash crop; and I support the decriminalization of all other drugs. As a former heroin addict myself, I know the devastating impact drug addiction has not only on your mind, body and soul, but also on all those around you. But it was my choice to use heroin. But it was also my choice to stop.

I am also a socialist. And my writing reflects my left-wing perspective on life.

Q.   What genre would you place your novel?

A.   Good question but nor easily defined. It is a thriller in the sense the book has an exciting plot, involving crime and terrorism. But it is also a saga, as Border War is the first of a trilogy. The power of the book comes from the frustration and futility of the protagonists, which is what I believe most Mexicans and probably most Americans are feeling today.

Q.   You make quite a point of describing the military hardware, and weapons being used by the Mexican Navy to fight the cartels. Why is that?

A.   I wanted to make sure that everyone who reads the novel clearly understands what the words ‘war on drugs’ really means. Mexico is fighting a war on its own soil. Despite what the Mexican government says, or American or Canadian real estate agents trying to sell oceanfront condos say, the country is at war. And what better way to say that than to describe the weapons, the hardware, the helicopter gunships, being used everyday on the streets in Mexico.

Q.   What were you trying to achieve through the book?

A.   Basically, I want to educate my readers and I hope to be able to do that through story telling, if that makes any sense. While I am no Edward Bellamy, I want to be like him. Tell a story, educate your reader, and make a political statement at the same time. Jack London’s ‘The Iron Heel’ did that; so did Sinclair Lewis in ‘It Can’t Happen Here’, which, by the way, I think is exactly where the U.S. is headed.

Q.   Could you say a bit about the protagonists in your book, and how you came to develop them?

A.   There are six protagonists, heroes, if you will, in Border War. They are career Mexican Marines, Special Forces commandos, each with families. All are married with children, except for the one female character, who’s single. Each and everyone is touched in some way by the violence they face everyday.

The personalities and characteristics of each one is modeled after a Marine I met while living in Manzanillo.

Q.   I am sure you are aware that the Mexican Navy just announced that a woman had been accepted in the Special Forces. What do you make of that?

A.   Life does imitate art sometimes, that’s for sure. I started writing ‘Border War’ about a year ago and published the first e-book edition in December. My character, Ruby Fernandez, was written into the novel long before the Navy took that very important step.